Controlling and regulating apparatus



Jan. 16,1923. 1,442,728

. F. W. MEYER. CONTROLLING AND REGULATING APPARATUS.

ORIGINAL Fl I 'ED JAN; 13, 1917,

'2 SHEETS'SHEET I Patented Jan. 16,

UNITED- STATES 1,442,728 PATENT OFFICE-.3 I

rnmnnrcn wnnnm man, or mwn'vxnn, wrsconsm, assumes. '10 m corpus-11mm?-ure. 00., or mnwaom, wlsconsm, a conrona'rron or CONT BOLLING ANDBEGULATING APPARATUS Original applications filed Jamaal-118,1a17,.sem1m. 142,243, and Jamal-721, 1918, semi Io. 212,947.-

Divided and on; application filed larch as, 1918. Serial 10. 225,299. 7d

To all wlwm it may covwem Be it known that I, Fnnqomcn WILHELM MEYER, acitizen of the German Empire, residing at Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented new. and usefulImprovements in Controlling and Regulating Apparatus, of which thefollowing isa Specification. This invention relates to controlling 10 reulating apparatus.

ore partlcularly it relates to controlling and regulating apparatus forenergy con.-

verters, such, forexample', as dynamo-electric machines. y 1 Thisapplication is a division of my copendingapplication, Ser. No. 142,243,filed Jan. 13, 1917 (Patent No. 1,353,815, granted .September 21, 1920)and also of my. co-

pending application, Ser. No. 212,947, filed Jan. 21, 1918-(Patent No.1,411,862,.granted April 4,1922). When certain dynamo electric machines,for example, 'electricimotors, are subjected to variations in operatingconditions, such as variations in load or inf-impressed voltage theirspeed vary unless regulating means are provided to compensate andcorrect for these variations in operating conditions. Electro-magnets,switches and resistances are ordinarily the means through which a motorand other dynamo electric machines are regulated. The'self-induction ofthe electro-m ets, the mechanical in ertia of the switc es, the inertiaanjd selfinduction of the motor I and other things tend to make theregulationtard'y and cause I it to overrun and hunt. Some of the formsof'regulating apparatus heretofore suggested dependior theiroperation'upon the oscil- 40 lation of the corrective force whichnecessarily favors the tendency to hunt and increases the instability ofthe system. When resistances are used considerable energy is wasted. i gOne of the objects of the present invention is to produce moresensitlve, stable and eflicient regulation.

Another object is and to provide improved regulat' means whereby thetendencies to huidt a ii oscillate are eliminated or lessen Anotherobject is to provide improved chines.

regulating means which will respond to slight. variations in operativeconditions and accurately compensate therefor.

Another object is to provide improved facilities for controlling thespeed and torque of an electric motor. d

Other objects and advantages will appear from the followingspecification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings certain embodiments of the invention arediagrammatically illustrated and will be hereinex-' plained as appliedto the control andregulation of electric motors, but the invention isreadily susceptible of other embodiments and of being adapted to controland regulatefother types of dynamo electric ma- In accordance with theembodiments of the invention illustrated the motor is regulatedprimarily through the agenc of an electroionic valvefthe effect of w ichis thermally controlled by means which re spond under variations in loador other operating conditions. p

In the drawin Fig. 1 shows the appa ratus applied toa direct currentmotor;

- Fig. 2 shows a modification wherein the apparatus is used inconnection with a threef phase induction motor, and

F 3 shows another modificationiwh h.

the electroionic valve is controlled by aux ilia-ry electroionic valvesor relays to give increased corrective effects.

' Fig. l will first be described. A direct current motor 1 is suppliedwith energy from a source 2-3 and is provided'with aseparately excitedfield 4;. The energy 1s transmitted to motor 1 through an electrodarkdischarge, the luminous discharge or the arc discharge type. Thiselectroionlc valve is described and its characteristics of operation areexplained in the hereinbefore .ionic valve 5 which may be of either thetemperatureefthecathode'lisvaried 17, 18 and 19 in the usual manner. Themo-:

by varying the flow of an auxiliary or heat ing current flowingtherethrough. Connected to and simulating the operation of motor 1 is asmall direct current dynamo electric machine or tachometer 8. Thearmature of tachometer 8 is connected to the terminals of cathode 7through a battery 9 and an adjustable resistance 10. Tachometer 8 has aseparately excited field which may be controlled by a rheostat 11.Battery 9 and tachometer 10 are connected in opposition, the batteryvoltage normally predominating. An increase in the voltage of thetachometer will therefore decrease the difference in voltage between thebattery and the tachometer and less current will flow throu hthe circuitincluding the cathode 7. Tie temperature of cathode 7 will thereupon bereduced and the amount of energy supplied to the motor 1 will'bedecreased. A decrease in the voltage supplied by the tachometer producesthe opposite result. I

If the speed of themotor, due to variations in load or line voltage,etc. decreases, the speed of the tachometer is similarly andcoincidently or simultaneously decreased and the voltage produce-dthereby is decreased. The difference in voltage between battery 9 andtachometer 8 is therefore increased, more current flows through cathode7 and more energy is supplied to motor 1. The speed of the motortherefore increases to compensate for the variation. On the other hand,an increase in the speed of themotor increases the speed and voltage ofthe tachometer. The difference in voltage between the battery and thetachometer de creases, less current is supplied tocathode 7 and thetemperature. of the cathode decreases. Less current thereupon issupplied to motor 1 and themotor speed decreases.

The initial speed and'torque conditions may be readily controlledbyvarying the excitation of the tachometer field through rheostat 11, orby varying the resistance in the circuit of cathode 7 by .means ofrheostat 10. It is of course alse', possible to obtain variouscharacteristic speed curves by bringing ,the field of the tachometerunder the influence of the load current. j Fig. 2 shows an inductionmotor 15 with .its primary or stator connected directly toa source ofthree-phase alternating current 16.

The secondary or rotor windings of the motor are brought out to sliprings and brushes tor is regulated and controlled by varying theeffective voltage of the rotorfwhich voltage is varied by a special typeof duplex electroionic valve 20.

"Eleetrolonic valve 20 comprises three elec trodes 21, 22 and 23 whichare connected re- .spectively to the motor brushes and slip rings17,,18and 19.

As will be hereinafter explained each of the electrodes 21, 22 and 23may act and in operation do function alternately as an anode and as acathode, The electroionic valve 20 is also provided with supplementarycathodes 25, 26 and 27 located in close proximity to the electrodes 21,22 and 23respectively.

The supplementary cathodes 25, 26 and 27 are heated by current suppliedfrom batteries'29, 30 and 31 respectively. The amount of currentsupplied to and consequently the degree of heat of the cathodes 25,26and 27 is controlled by small direct current generators or tachometermachines 32, 33 and 34 res ectively. The batteries 29, 30 and 31 an thecorresponding tachometers 32, 33 and 34 are so connected in circuit thattheir voltages are opposed, the voltages of the batteries normallypredominating. A

The tachometers are connected directly to the motor shaft and thussimulate the operating condition of the motor. Therefore when the speedof the motor decreases the tachometers produce a small voltage, the

difference in voltage between the batteries and tachometers consequentlyincreases and more current is supplied to heat the supplementarycathodes 25, 26 and 27.

The tachometers have a. common separately excited field 37 which can becontrolled at will through a rheostat 38. The current to the cathodescan also be controlled by adjustable resistances 39, 40 and 41respectively located in the various circuits of the tachometers andcathodes 25, 26 and 27 Between one terminal of the supplementary 100cathodes and the corresponding electrodes 21, 22 and 23 smallresistances 42, 43 and 44 are connected. These resistances may belocated within the vessel as illustrated for re sista-nces 42 and 44 oroutside of the vessel as shown for resistance 43. It has also been foundthat good results may be obtained by placing batteries in series withthe resistances'42, 43, and 44 or by substituting batteries for theseresistances and removing the resistances entirely.

The operation is as follows: The load current in. the motor primaryinduces voltages in the motor secondary windings which successively passthrough cycles corresponding to the line cycles. It will therefore beapparent that the potential between the elecsponding cycles creating arotary discharge in vessel 20. For example, the arc'may first 'passbetween electrodes 21 and 22, electrode 21 acting as an anode andelectrode 22 as a cathode. Thisarc after starting builds up to a maximumand then falls off as the induced voltage in the corresponding windingof the motor secondary decreases. As'the are between electrodes 21 and22 falls off the po-' tential between electrodes 22 and 23 is buildingup, and, after the extinguishing of the are between electrodes 21 and 22an arc is started between electrodes 22 and 23 when the critical orignition voltage is reached. Electrode 22 is now. an anode and electrode23 a cathode. Next the arc passes between electrodes 23 and 21,electrode 23 being the anode and electrode 21 being the cathode. Thiscycle of operations continues during the operation of the motor, thefrequency .of the changes corresponding to the frequency of the motorsecondary which depends upon the slip of the motor.

In order to facilitate. the formation of the arcs, to sharply define thearcs and to provide regulation and control, the supplmentary cathodesare employed. The are from anode 21 first forms between anode 21andauxiliary cathode 26, the discharge between these electrodes takingplace. at a voltage lower than that required to force an .arc betweenelectrodes 21 and 22. The are once started between anode 21 and cathode26 readily shifts to electrode 22. The are between anode 21 and cathode26 is almost immediatel extinguished because-when once started throughelectrode 22 the resistance of the path directly betweenelectrodes'21and 22 is less than that between 21 and 22 through cathode 26 on accountof the resistance 43. Similarly the are from electrode 22 first startsbetween that electrode and auxiliary cathode 27, later shifting toelectrode 23. r

By regulating and controlling the heating of the auxiliary cathodes 25,26 and 27 the formation of the arcs between the electrodes 21, 22 and 23and the auxiliary cathodes can be varied and consequently the formationof the arcs between the main electrodes can be regulated and controlled.If the motor speed, for any reason, decreases, the voltages of thetachometer machines simultaneously decrease. The difference ofpotentialbe-.

tween the tachometers and batteries 29, 30 and 31 immediately increasesand more current is supplied to the auxiliary cathodes. The heat ofthese cathodes'is accordingly increased, the arcs from electrodes 21, 22and 23 to the auxilia cathodes and consequently also between t ese mainelectrodes takes place sooner and also the cathode voltage orcorresponding ionization voltage increases. Thus the voltage consumed inthe vessel 20 is diminished and the voltage of the motor secondarycircuit increased. This increase in voltage raises the motor speed.

.An increase in motor speed brought about by variations in voltagedrops, load, etc, has

the opposite effect. The tachometers then.

generate higher voltages, the difference in voltages between thetachometers and the batteries are decreased and less current is suppliedtothe auxiliary cathodes. The temperature of the auxiliary cathodesdecreases and consequently the formationof the arcs in vessel 20 is lesseasily accomplished and maintained. Therefore the effective voltage ofthe motor secondary is decreased and the motor speed decreases.

The corrective effects thus applied are gieatly augmented or increasedby the characteristic action of the electroionic valve and may takeplace practically simultaneously with any deviation in motor operation.Stable and close regulation may thus be ob tained. The speed and torqueof the motor may-be readily varied by the manipulation of the tachometerfield or variable resistances, 39, 40 and 41.

Fig. 3 shows a similar arrangement, the corrective efl'ects' beingincreased or augmented by the use of auxiliary electronic valves orrelays or other electroionic valves or relays. A motor 50 has itsprimary Windings directly connected-to the line and has slip rings andbrushes 51, 52 and 53. The slip rings and brushes are connectedrespectively to three main electrodes 54, 55 and56 of an electroionicvalve 57 as before. Each 'main electrode has associated therewith asupplementarycathode 58, 59 and 60 respectively. Between the electrodes54, 55 and 56 and the corresponding auxiliary cathodes 5 8, 59 and 60are-connected small resistances 61, 62 and 63 respectively.

Each auxiliary cathode is respectively heated by currents suppliedthrough an electron-'ic relay 65, 66 and 67. Sinceall of the relays arealike and function-in the same way only one need be described. Relay 65has an anode 68, a cathode 69 and an auxiliary anode 70 which may takethe form of a grid. Cathode 69 is heated by current from a battery 71.A'battery 72 is connected in circuit between one terminal of'auxiliarycathode 58 of valve 57 and middle of cathode 69. The other terminal ofauxiliary cathode 58 is connected to anode 68 of relay 65. Battery 72supplies the. current for heatmg auxiliary cathode 58, and the amount ofI current thus supplied is determined by'the voltage consumed in relay65.

Driven by the motor to simulate the operation thereof is a directcurrent tachometer machine 75. Tachometer machine'7 5 has an adj-ustablyseparately excited field 7 6. One brush of the tachometer machine 75 isconnected to the auxiliary anode 7 0 of relay 65 through an adjustableresistance 77, the other brush of the tachometer being co..- .nected inseries with a battery 78 to the mixdle of cathode 69 of relay 65. Thevoltages of battery 78 and tachometer 75 oppose each other and normallytery predominates.

As Ipreviously explained in connection with 'ig. 2 the arm in vessel 57start between the main electrodes andthe auxiliary cathodes and thenpass between the main the voltage of the bat electrodes in rotation. Theheatof the auxstarting and also the character of the arcs andconsequently the resistance of the motor secondary circuit.

If the speed of the motor decreases for any reason the'tacho'metermachine 75 simultaneously produces less voltage. The difference involtage between battery 7 8 and tachometer machine 75 consequentlyincreases and the voltage between auxiliaryanode 7 0 and cathode 69 ofrelay 65 increases. The voltage consumed in relay 65 thereupon decreasesresulting in battery 72 supplying more current to auxiliary cathode 58of valve 57. The are between electrode 56 and auxiliary cathode 58 andconsequently between electrodes 56 and 54 accordingly forms more readilyand is maintained more easily, the resistance of the motor secondarycircuit is decreased and the motor increases in speed.

Slight variations in motor speed cause relay 65 to produce'greatlymagnified effects upon auxiliary cathode 58 which therefore magnifiesthe effects upon the arc in the valve 57 Each relay has a tachometermachine so that the effects on all of the auxiliary cathodes 58, 59 and60 are simultaneously applied so that corrective effects are immediatelyproduced regardless of the elec: trodes between which the arc. ispassing at the time corrective forces are required.

The speed and torque of the motor may be controlled at will by means ofthe rheostat in the motor field or the resistances in the circuitbetween the tachometer and the auxiliary anodes of relays 65, 66 and 67.

It has been found by experiment that the resistances between the mainelectrodes and the heated or auxiliary cathodes lfiiay be omitted withsatisfactory results.

What I claim is:

1. A regulator for a dynamo electric machine subject to varyingconditions of energy conversion, comprising an electroionic valve havingelectrodes included in a circuit traversed by the current which controlsthe operation of the machine, a current supply circuit connectedto oneof the electrodes whereby said electrode may be heated, and meanssimultaneously responsive to the varying conditions'and controlling thecurrent passing through said heated electrode to vary'the temperature.thereof in accordance with the varying conditions t control theregulating effect of the valve.

2. A' regulator for a machine for converting energy and subject tovarying load and power conditions, comprising an electroioniic valvehaving electrodes included in a circuit traversed by the current whichcontrols the operation of the machine, current supply connections forone of-the electrodes whereby said electrode may be heated,

. a tachometer simulating the. operation of the machine and electr callyand frictionlessly interlinked with the current supply. connections andcontrolling the current passing. through said heated electrode to varythe temperature thereof in accordance with the varying conditions tocontrol the regulating effect of the valve.

3. The combination of a dynamo electric machine to be regulated forvarying conditions of voltage, load and power, an auxiliary dynamoelectric machine simulating the operation of the machine to be regulatedand creating an electromotive force changing with the varyingconditions, an electro-ionic valve having a plurality-of electrodes,means connecting the auxiliary machine in circuit with one of theelectrodes so that the heating current therethrough is variedcoincidently and in accordance with the varying conditions, and circuitleads connecting electrodes of the valve to the machine to be regulatedwhereby regulative effects are impressed upon 'the same in substantialsynchronism with the varying conditions.

4. Regulating means for dynamo electric machines sub ect to varying loadand power conditions, comprising an electroionic valve provided withelectrodes through which the current which controls the operation of themachine is transmit-ted, current supply connections to one of saidelectrodes, and means; coincidently responsive to the varying conditionsand changing the temperature of said last mentioned electrode bychanging the current passing through the said connections.

5. The combination of a dynamo electrical machine subject to varyingconditions of voltage, load and power, an electroionic valve having aplurality of electrodes for controlsaid machine, the discharge betweenelectrodes being controlled by varying the temperature of one electrode,and means simulating the operating'conditions of said machine andcoincidently responsive to the varying conditions and supplying varyingamounts of heating current to one of the trolling circuit in which themachine to be t controlled substantially instantaneously produces aneffect which changes the heating current in substantial synchronism withthe varying conditions to alter the discharge, thereby to control themachine.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribedmy name. FRIEDRICEHWILHELM MEYER.

